Madras High Court: A Division Bench of M. Sathyanarayanan and M. Nirmal Kumar, JJ. has given time to the T.N. Government to file additional status report in a writ petition that is seeking immediate setting up of an emergency response system to aid and assist victims of domestic violence.
The petitioner had suggested that the same can be done through measures including:
(a) Ensuring the working/functional mobile and landline numbers of Protection Officers of all the Districts to be made public and readily available and disseminated through electronic, print and visual media.
(b)Ensuring that Protection Officers in every District be given access to vehicles to rescue victims of domestic violence on an urgent basis.
(c) Making provision for filing and submitting the domestic incident reports online/through telephone.
(d)Notifying a list of service providers with their contact numbers and addresses and have this information disseminated thrugh electronic, print and visual media.
(e) Notifying a list of shelter homes along with contact numbers and address for every District that can accommodate victims of domestic violence and have this information disseminated through electronic, print and visual media.
(f) Directing Health service providers to document instance of physical abuse and give proper treatment to victims of domestic violence on a priority basis.
(g) Directing the local police to provide all necessary cooperation and support for rescue and movement of victims of domestic violence and social workers who are assisting them.
The petitioner was represented by Poongkhulali, Advocate. While, Additional Advocate General S.R. Rajagopal assisted by V. Jayapraskash Narayan, Government Pleader, appeared for the State.
The Court’s attention was invited to the detailed status report filed by the State on 23-1-2020, wherein steps taken to address the issue relating to the domestic violence have been narrated in detail. Discussing the same, the petitioner suggested some additions and modifications.
The Additional Advocate General submitted that the suggestions made by the petitioner have been taken note of and appropriate remedial measures would be taken at the earliest. He prayed for some more accommodation to file an additional status report.
The matter is now posted for 20-5-2020. [Sudha Ramalingam v. State of T.N., 2020 SCC OnLine Mad 973 , decided on 24-4-2020]
